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While this year has been all about the Aquatimer for IWC, let's not forget the complete overhaul the Ingenieur line received in 2013. To follow this up, IWC has just introduced two new watches to the Ingenieur lineup, including this Dual Time that retains many of the design traits we liked on the basic 40mm Ingenieur while adding the functionally we saw in the Ingenieur Dual Time Titanium. It is a little larger than the time-only Ingenieur at 43mm, but still has the 70s-style integrated bracelet and 5-hole bezel that references the original Genta-designed Ingenieur SL. Let's take a closer look at this new steel GMT from IWC.

Let’s take a short break from all the hoopla surrounding
BaselWorld this week and take a peek at some historical watches from a company
that’s NOT in Basel. Sotheby’s is hosting an auction on May 11th in Geneva
and the usual suspects are present: Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Audemars Piguet, to name
a few. But
it’s a rare treat to find a healthy quiver of great old IWCs at auction. And
there are three of them here that offer a glimpse into the company’s past and show
direct inspiration for modern pieces from three of their watch families.

IWC came to SIHH this year touting some seriously technical looking
pieces - none more so than the Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month.
There is a lot going on with this watch - eg., a flyback chronograph, a full perpetual calendar with double big-date display and innovative power saving system, and a case made of a new titanium aluminide compound - so we thought we'd take the time
to explain it in full here for you.

IWC takes its “Engineered for Men” motto seriously and that extends beyond its watches. Every year at SIHH, the brand
pulls out all the stops with its booth. This year the theme for its Ingenieur refresh was motorsports, and for the occasion IWC built a Formula 1 technical lab, complete with faux wind tunnel turbines, stacks
of tires, disembodied engines, and, of course, cars. We were lucky enough to get a
guided tour of the booth by none other than the man who designed it, Chris Grainger.

IWC's new Ingenieur line received a major refresh last week, and while
there are countless complications - think rattrapante, digital perpetual
calendar, and tourbillon - it is the Ingenieur in its simplest form
that is most appealing to us. Here's why:

Another addition to the revamped Ingenieur line, the Ingenieur Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month adds an entirely new complication to the family. One of the more complicated pieces unveiled by IWC at SIHH this week, the Digital Date-Month is a thoroughly modern interpretation of a typically classic complication.

A while back we showed you the IWC Ingenieur Chronograph Racer and told you the special edition Chronograph Silberpfeil was on its way. Well today we've got it for you. This reimagining of the IWC Ingenieur is a tribute to the legendary Mercedez-Benz Silver Arrow, which dominated motor racing for decades. Click through for your first look.

When we were over in
Schaffhausen filming the currently on-going series "A Man's Guide To
Buying A Watch" with IWC, they were gracious enough to let us into their
absolutely awesome museum. Inside, we found some of the earliest IWC
watches on record, and all of the classics pieces from the brand's
superb history, including many that act as the inspiration for today's
collection - think original Portuguese pieces from 1939, 1950s MKXI
pilot's watches, late 60s Aquatimers, and the original Genta-designed
Ingenieur SL.

We're big fans of the IWC Ingenieur. It’s always had all the elements of a great timepiece: a long history as a tool watch extraordinaire, great Gerald Genta design DNA and a bombproof in-house movement. The Inge chronographs haven’t garnered nearly as much attention as their time-only brethren but we think that’s about to change. A new Inge chrono was spotted on the wrist of IWC’s CEO, Georges Kern, at SIHH earlier this year and since then, there’s been much speculation about it. A prototype? Nope. It’s the new Ingenieur Double Chronograph Titanium.

There aren't many IWC's that cross the $100,000 mark. The watch you see to the left is one of them. It is called the IWC Grosse Ingenieur (Great Engineer) and is the pinnacle of the Ingenieur lineup. In fact, only 200 of this watch were ever produced, and only 83 hit the states.

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Friday March 3, 2012

HODINKEE is one of the most widely read wristwatch publications in the world. Launched in 2008 by then 25-year-old Benjamin Clymer, the site quickly gained notoriety for earnest looks at some of the industry’s most interesting, and occasionally forgotten timepieces.